Captain Brian Bews, one of the top skilled pilots within the Royal Canadian Air Force,
always knew he wanted to fly.
In July of 2010, while training for the Alberta International Airshow, his CF-18 Hornet fighter
suffered a mechanical failure while performing a complicated maneuver that he had done many
times before.
But as seen in footage taken that day, it looked like this would be his final flight.
However, Bews would not go down without a fight, and with quick thinking skills that
are only second nature to the best pilots in the world, he attempted to stabilize the
aircraft.
Still, nothing was working.
Flying only a few hundred feet above the surface, Bews only had four seconds to do something
before crashing into the ground…
Caught On Camera
In mid-2010, pilot Captain Brian Bews of the Royal Canadian Air Force's 425 Squadron, 3
Wing, boarded his trusted McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet fighter for a training run before
a planned airshow at the Lethbridge County Airport.
As the weather conditions were favorable, Bews chose to perform the high alpha maneuver
for the practice.
The maneuver is a common trick for the Hornet, in which the aircraft flies at its lowest
possible forward speed using a mix of engine power and an extreme angle of attack and then
resumes routine flight using full power and afterburn to climb back up.
However, things soon went horribly wrong that fateful day.
Suddenly, the Demo Hornet experienced a loss of thrust from one of its engines while flying
300 feet above ground level.
In footage captured both in video and photography by many civilian onlookers and photographers,
Bews can be seen swinging the rudder and ailerons to try to save the jet.
Still, it was to no avail.
As the Hornet tilts to the right, the aircraft does not respond, and Bews has no choice but
to eject.
Ejection
The state-of-the-art ejection seat in the Hornet calculated the aircraft's orientation,
altitude, and speed, sending Bews to the opposite side.
The pilot then set off his parachute mere seconds before the CF-18 plunged to the ground,
narrowly missing getting hit by the plane, which crashed and exploded nose first in a
massive fireball.
The ejection went smoothly, with a brisk wind pushing the pilot away from the wreckage.
However, the parachute’s shroud lines became entangled in his leg upon landing, and before
it could be released, the parachute re-inflated and dragged the pilot for several yards.
At the same time, members of the SkyHawk Parachute Demonstration Team chased the unconscious
pilot in a vehicle, finally catching up with the parachute, releasing it, and immediately
performing first aid on Bews.
Thankfully, the pilot’s injuries were not serious, and he recovered quickly.
Investigation
As soon as fire and police departments cordoned off the area of impact, an official investigation
carried out by the Canadian Military and Department of Transport officials was launched.
More than two years later, near the end of 2012, Royal Canadian Air Force investigators
released the results of the thorough analysis of the spectacular jet crash.
According to the report, a number of factors contributed to the crash but pointed explicitly
at the CF-18’s right engine, concluding that the incident: [QUOTE] "Was likely the
result of a stuck ratio boost piston in the right engine main fuel control that prevented
the engine from advancing above flight idle when maximum afterburner was selected."
This imbalance between the right and left engines caused Bews's aircraft to depart a
controlled flight, and the jet could not be recovered due to the low altitude it was flying
at.
Captain Bews, who later became a flight instructor, also provided a statement on the incident.
According to the pilot, he knew right away that something was wrong during the ominous
flight.
And with the jet not acting as it was supposed to, Bews was suddenly not in control anymore.
The pilot claimed that after wrestling with the CF-18 for a few seconds, he believed the
aircraft was about to spiral towards the ground and knew what to do: [QUOTE] "I knew my only
chance of survival was to pull the ejection handle."
As a result of the crash and the ensuing investigation, the Royal Canadian Air Force issued several
recommendations with measures to avoid similar incidents in the future, as well as many improvements
to its airshow training program.
The top officials also announced an expedited program to upgrade all the main fuel controls
of Canada's available CF-18s.
Delayed Replacements
Despite the supposed urgency, the Royal Canadian Air Force had yet to replace an engine part
that caused the Hornet to malfunction more than five years after the incident.
Running so far behind schedule, the expected completion date to replace all main fuel controls
was moved to March of 2018.
Continued delays in completing flight safety reports and implementing preventative measures
are recurring issues for the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Canada's CF-18 fleet, edging closer and closer to the end of its lifespan, was initially
slated to retire in 2020.
However, the conservative government canceled such plans in recent years amidst civilian
complaints regarding the cost, as well as budgetary secrecy.
According to Johanna Quinney, spokeswoman for Defense Minister Rob Nicholson, the CF-18
jets are an essential component of the Air Force, stating: [QUOTE] "Our current fleet
of CF-18s is fully capable of fulfilling a variety of mission requirements such as patrol
and air-to-air interception.”
With a replacement seemingly a decade away, the government then announced a 400-million-dollar
budget to upgrade the Hornets and keep them aloft until 2025.
Twelve Years Later
Despite many delays and obstacles, the aging CF-18s will eventually be retired, and incidents
like the one Bews had to endure will hopefully be avoided.
In March of 2022, almost 12 years after the summer 2010 incident that nearly cost Bews
his life and after a five-year deliberation, the Canadian government announced the selection
of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II as the replacement of the aging CF-18 Hornet.
The country had two final contenders for the bid: the F-35 all-weather stealth multirole
combat aircraft and the Swedish JAS 39 Gripen multirole fighter aircraft.
But despite the fierce competition, the Canadian officials chose the former after flying hour
costs were successfully cut.
The decision to purchase 88 advanced fighter jets for the Royal Canadian Air Force will
further the growth of the Canadian aerospace and defense sector for decades to come.
This procurement is the most significant investment the Air Force has made in more than 30 years.
In fact, the F-35 is intended to become the cornerstone of NATO and all United States
allied air power, and is expected to operate until well into the 2070s.
According to a statement from the official Canada website, the purchase of the aircraft
will ensure the nation continues to be well-equipped to defend North America from any threats despite
the costly investment.
The acquisition will also ensure that Canada continues to meet all NATO and NORAD obligations
well into the future.
As Canada's Minister of Public Services and Procurement Filomena Tassi concluded: [QUOTE]
"This announcement marks another important milestone in Canada's competitive process
to purchase modern fighter jets for the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Canadians take great pride in their Armed Forces, and it is important to make sure that
they have what they need to keep Canada safe and secure."
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